Untamed
by Geu23
Summary: Parental!HughesxEd & Parental!RoyxEd. An escaped experiment in the form of a small boy. Somehow, he is put into a Shelter but remains silent. However, a person manages to get him to open up... Just what does he have to hide? And is he really safe? AU
1. Prologue

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ here with a new story! It's going to be a Parental!RoyxEd and Parental!MaesxEd. Thank you for choosing to read this story. There will also be no alchemy involved.  
Disclaimer: I will never own FullMetal Alchemist and I can live with that! I just love it that's all~  
Warnings: Pain, slight torture & poisonous lies.**_

**Untamed  
****Prologue**

_**You have to keep going, boy! **_

_**The test isn't over yet. **_

_**Complete it! **_

_**Don't stop now!**_

Stop it!

_**You have to push yourself!**_

_**You mustn't rest till this is over!**_

_**You're almost there.**_

_**A little further, come on!**_

Stop it! Shut up!

_**Are you that pathetic?**_

_**This subject is a waste of our time!**_

_**We shouldn't have used the boy; should've used the other bigger brute!**_

_**Surely then the test will be better.**_

Enough! Enough! Just shut up and leave me alone! Stop it!

_**The boy's slowing down again.**_

_**He should be beating his last run, not lose to it!**_

_**He's pathetic.**_

_**No one would want to take care of him.**_

SHUT UP!

**XxXx**

The walls loomed over him and the floor was cold against his bare feet but he had to keep moving or else **they **would shock him again with the damn bracelet around his wrist. **They** always placed it there whenever there was a test or experiment. He had to keep going, no matter how tired he was.

He turned the next corner and was met with another dead end. His eyes widened and looked at his bracelet. The green light flickered red.

_No!_

Then jolts of electricity raced through his frame, his eyes wide, mouth open in a silent scream of pain as his body convulsed and spammed with pain. As quickly as it started it stopped and he crumbled to the floor; his body aching and tears streaming down his dust-covered face.

"**Come on, boy. You can't make mistakes now. Complete the maze now."**

He pushed himself up and glared at the camera above him. How he hated **them** and their stupid games. He ran, turning left and right and jumping over the occasional hurdle and pit trap before he collapsed again.

His lungs burned, sweat covered his body, his arms and legs hurt but worse of all his energy source was completely used up. The bracelet flickered from green to red and the pain came again. It always hurt and then he would have to run again but he just couldn't.

The pain stopped and he could only hear his harsh breathing before **they** spoke again.

"**Stop lying around, boy! Complete the test!"**

But he made no move to get up. He was just too damn tired.

"**Che. You're completely pathetic and hopeless. You useless runt! Don't you remember what happened to your family as they tried to protect you?"**

'_No! Stop it! I don't want to hear it!'_ He gripped his head, covering his ears. No! He didn't want to remember! Stop it!

"**They all gave up their wonderful lives for your pathetic one. They must've really cared for you, boy. But they all died because of you. You were the one responsible for their brutal deaths. **

'_No! You were the ones who killed them! Not me! You're the ones who did it! Not me! You killed them but you didn't kill me!'_ Tears ran down his face. He wasn't the one responsible for their deaths! They were the ones who killed his loving mother, his father and his little brother. They were the ones! Not him! He was not the one who killed them!

"**How does it feel boy? To know that those that you cared for dearly did for such a pathetic existence as yours?"**

STOP IT! SHUT UP! You don't know! You don't know how painful it was! Just shut up!

"**Silly boy. You make their sacrifice mean nothing. You are pathetic. You can't even finish this test much less protect your family. You make us all sick!"**

SHUT UP!

**XxXx**

Everyone was running up and down, yelling and shouting, as they searched for their lab rat that had disappeared right under their noses. They kept looking and searching; even setting the dogs on him but it turned up for nothing.

The boy simply disappeared. Vanished and nowhere to be seen.

"The boy was such a waste of time. We didn't even get to test out his new abilities."

The old man stared at his co-worker. "What abilities? Last I check we were only increasing his immune system and stamina."

His co-worker sighed deeply and scratched his chin. "We gave him the ability to communicate and to morph into other mammals but we never had the chance to test it out. What a disappointment."

"Why didn't you test it out sooner? Surely you would've had the time."

Again he sighed and removed his glasses to clean them. He frowned.

"The boy had gotten sick a few hours after the administration of the genes and cells needed for the lab rat to gain the ability to morph. It took days to cure him, even with his advanced healing and immune system, and I was just about ready to test him today when he disappeared. Damn that boy."

"Say, how did you administrate the necessary requirements then?"

"Make it into a serum and injected into his small body as well as replace some parts of the bone with animal ones. We only did the ribs so he has a series of stitches on his side."

"I see..."

"Right..."

They continued on to the basement where more experiments and tests were already being taken.

**XxXx**

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ here! So how was it? I hope it was alright and, truth-be-told, this is the longest prologue I have ever written! So Im happy with how it went. Sorry if it is a bit confusing and such.  
Main Facts:  
1) The boy's family was murdered in cold blood by scientist from an underground organisation.  
2) He now has the ability to transform into any mammal he wants whenever he wants.  
3) He escaped!  
That's all for what had happened in this chapter.  
Till next time,  
~!?WainGuy?!~**_


	2. The Lost Boy

**~!?WainGuy?!~ here with another update! I know earlier I said that it would be a Parental!IzumixEd and Brotherly!RoyxEd and, well, I couldn't do it... So I did something else. So it's become a Parental!HughesxEd and Parental!RoyxEd. See ya at the bottom! Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: Dont own FMA and never will!  
Warnings: Deaths**

**Untamed  
****Chapter 1: The Lost Boy**

He kept running. He had to get away from them as fast as possible. It didn't matter that the bushes and shrubs snagged and tore at his clothes and skin, his feet bruised as they ran over the rough terrain filled with stones and rocks but he kept going.

He was lost to humanity, he was lost in the wilderness and he was all alone. But he didn't want to die! Oh no, he wanted to live, to make sure that his family's sacrifice would not be in vain. He would live, not for his sake, but for his already dead family's sake.

He took short naps during the day in sheltered places, drank the river's water and ate whatever was around ranging from fruit and berries to the roots of trees and nuts. He never rested in one place for too long for the fear of those wretched scientists.

He did not want to be caught and be forced to do test and part take in experiments. He knew that the last one had done something to him for now he understood what the animals around him said and he had knowledge that he never obtained from books; instinct from other beings.

He had remembered waking up briefly in the middle of that last experiment so he knew what they had done to his already bruised and battered body. They had given – more like forced – him the ability to change from human to animal and vice versa whenever he pleased. He knew that he was no longer truly human and that saddened him.

He was different and he was never going to be normal again. He felt so lost and so very alone.

**xXxXx**

The days were growing colder and colder, the days shorter and the trees were already shedding their leaves of various colours. The boy shivered and he was not happy. It was cold, it was wet and it was getting harder and harder to find food.

And he was getting so tired. So very very tired.

He fell face forward and lay on the cold, wet leaf-covered ground and stayed there for a while. His eyes drooped and he felt himself sink into the black abyss of unconsciousness.

He woke a little while later and looked around. It was already dark and the moon was high in the sky, casting its bluish light on the surrounding environment. He pushed himself up and stiffened. Something was coming from up ahead... Actually it sounds like a whole bunch of them.

He took a small step back, unsure whether what was coming friend or enemy. Should he run and never find out? Or should he turn tail and run?

However he didn't get the chance to as a pack of wolves of all colours naturally possible were around him in a second. He looked at them and they were surrounding him, sniffing and looking at him warily.

Then one wolf, with brown tones to his fur with many battle scars, came forward and stopped a few centimeters away from the boy. He stood proud, tail and head held high; he was the Alpha male.

The same animal instinct within him, the one he had gained ever since that experiment, told him to lower himself and bow his head in submission, to show respect and to show he was no challenger, he followed the instinct immediately.

The Alpha came closer, the boy did not raise his head but he kept starring down. The wolf sniffed him over and the boy held his breath.

Then the Alpha threw his head back and howled, his pack following his lead. The boy was stunned as he listened to their howls. They sang and howled; long and beautiful. But surprisingly for him he understood what they were saying as well as sense what they were feeling.

_We have searched and found a new pack brother._

_We have a new member to the pack._

_Rejoice and celebrate the new pack brother._

Then they stopped and the Alpha rested his head against the boy's. It was clear, for both the pack and the boy, what the Alpha had said.

_Run and hunt with us pack brother. We will do many great things together. Welcome to the pack._

**xXxXx**

Hunters. Human hunters with guns and knives have invaded the land in which the pack had lived for many generations. They were hunting and killing the pack, his family. First only Irinei did not return from the hunt but then Katenka, Lesya, Masha and so many of their brothers and sisters did not return as well.

Now there were only the five pups, Mikhail the Alpha male, Oxana the Alpha female, Peteeya, Rada, Sava, Taisiya, Yaakov and the boy. There were so little left and Mikhail was worried for his pack and his new pack brother that had joined his pack only two moons ago.

The boy, who resembled so much of these other hunters with the guns and knives, was pack brother and they could understand each other. He could also become one of them, like another wolf albeit a smaller one and had very light brown fur, but he would choose to stay in the other form.

Mikhail feared the day when the other hunters find the den and then it will all be over. He knew that the pack would not win against their weapons. They would leave their territory as soon as the pups are a bit bigger than they would move.

But they never could. The other hunters had spotted their den and they attacked. They shot and killed his family, knocked out his pack brother and then they killed him. Mikhail did not know what became of his pack brother or his pups.

**xXxXx**

"Hey Henry! The pups are in the cave as you said!" a man with blonde hair yelled at his partner.

"Put 'em in the sack and load them into the trunk. How many of them are there?" Henry, older with brown hair, asked as took a drag from his cigarette.

"Five of them!" Then his partner went into the cave.

Henry looked around the clearing, seeing the carcasses of wolves, a total of seven adult wolves, scattered around the area. _'They would make lovely fur coats and they will be sold with lovely prices as well... Now what to _do_ with the boy?'_

Henry looked into his truck and saw the boy. He was knocked unconscious by another one of his men, George maybe, and now he wondered what a kid was doing with a pack of wolves in the first place. He studied the unconscious lad.

He was tanned and had blonde hair. He couldn't have been any older than ten from his size and he wore clothes that were torn and ripped at some places. It looked as if the boy had been away from humanity quite some time then.

"The pups are in the sack, Henry. Do we take the wolves now or later?"

Henry looked away from the boy and over his shoulder. "We should bag 'em now and carry 'em back so that the crows don't get the chance to stick their bloody beaks into the corpses."

"Yes sir!"

'_Should drop the boy off at the orphanage or something then...'_

**xXxXx**

They're gone!

They're dead!

They all died!

No no no no no nooooooooooooooooo!

Not another family of mine!

They're all gone!

Give them back to me!

I don't want to be alone anymore!

Come back!

Take me with you!

Please!!

Come back and take me with you!

Mikhail!

Don't go, pack brother!

Come back!!

You can't be gone!

Don't leave me alone!

Please!!

Don't go!

**xXxXx**

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ here again! Please leave a review and I'll be happy! Thanks to those that read, review, fav-ed and alerted this story!  
Till next time,  
~!?WainGuy?!~**_


	3. Alone

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ back with a new update! And thanks goes out ot those that reviewed (especially you guys!), read, fav-ed and alerted this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter and if anyone can come up with a good summary please help me cause I suck at summaries! They're really difficult to do! On with the chapter! **_

**Warnings: Nothing so far...**  
**Disclaimer: Me no own FMA, but me own ze plot!**

**Be sure to be comforatble and be seated in a well lit room. Sit back, relax and enjoy!**

******Untamed  
Chapter 2: Alone**

The boy was always alone. He never played with the other children and he never spoke to anybody. His murky brown eyes were always so lost, so dull and they kept searching for something only he could see.

He liked to stay outside with any weather and he was always accompanied by the Shelter's Black Chow chow, Bear. It seemed that the dog liked the boy ever since he was found on their doorstep, unconscious and slightly injured.

What surprised everyone there that night was when the boy woke up and thrashed about, arms and legs flailing. Tears kept running down his face and his eyes were filled with despair. However the movements stopped when Bear head-butted the boy and gave a small, almost begging, whine.

More tears had leaked out of those eyes and he clung onto the Chow's thick furry coat, shoulders shaking and body trembling. It was really a sad sight and it almost made Sherry Marshall cry. She brought the boy to a room where he curled up with Bear in his arms.

The next day she had tried to talk with the boy but he refused to talk or look at her. His brown eyes were clouded with thought and he never once responded to her. He also didn't respond to the others working, not even to the other children. He'd just walk away if they approached him.

He only paid attention to Bear and Bear gave his attention to the boy.

Sherry looked outside the window and into the courtyard, watching the children playing and frolicking about in the sunny morning. All accept one.

It was always the same boy, sitting against the same tree with Bear beside him. He was always there, just staring at the sky or at the ground, deep in thought.

'_We're getting a new recruit today... Hopefully she'll help us with the boy... We don't even know his name and he's been here for at least over two weeks...'_

She looked at him and a sad smile appeared on her old wrinkled face. _'Maybe she'd be able to help the boy...'_

**xXxXx**

Gracia Hughes, newlywed to Maes Hughes and age twenty, was walking towards her new working place, the Shelter which was place for orphaned or abandoned children as well as refuge for those without homes and passerby.

She wanted to work and she did not want to stay home and be useless. Well, at least for now. She wanted to be kept busy and do something useful at the same time. So working at the Shelter was going to be good for her because she would be working with children and she would be helping them at the same time.

She was somewhat excited to get started and she looked forward to working with Mrs. Marshall, who was well known in the city for being generous and kind, who owned the Shelter and took care of the children twenty-four-seven.

She saw the big gates of the Shelter and the huge brown and weathered building looming behind them. She went inside the gates and looked around. Children of all ages were playing and running around. They all looked so cheerful and seemed to have so much fun.

Then a splash of gold flashed at the edge of her vision and saw a small boy, who was turned away from the rest of them, with a black dog resting its furry head against the boy's leg. Who was he? And why wasn't he playing with the other children?

"Gracia Hughes?"

She turned and saw an elderly woman with grey hair in a bun and blue eyes was standing in front of her. She blinked and wondered how she knew her name, much less who she was. Could she be...?

"Yes?"

"I am Sherry Marshall and I welcome you to the Shelter. Let me brief you about what you will be doing here and so on."

_A few moments later..._

They discussed what her shifts would be (from nine in the morning to half past noon), her salary and so forth. But, to her great surprise, Mrs. Marshall told her to watch the boy that was always with the Shelter's dog, Bear.

She wondered why they had told her to watch him. So she asked and the answer she got surprised her.

**xXxXx**

"He's very closed off from the others. He only interacts with Bear and he'd ignore anyone who would try to talk to him... We don't even know the boy's name."

"He never spoke? Not even once since he came here?"

A sigh. "I am afraid so. We just found him at the doorstep and then he woke up, crying without any noise. Either he doesn't speak because he wants to or because he's mute..."

"I see... I'll do my best to look after him and the other children."

A soft smile. "That would be just fine."

**xXxXx**

She looked at the children playing and laughing as they ran and each other. Some of them would come to her and ask various questions about herself and she would answer them with a smile. And when they were satisfied they'd run off giggling.

She then made her way to the boy, the one that no one knew about and who always stayed with Bear, who was under a tree with the dog beside him.

"Hello there. I'm Gracia Hughes."

The boy turned his head away from the sky and looked at her, his face blank and eyes clouded. He appeared to look right through her before he looked at the ground, his small hand ruffling the black dog's furry head.

'_Okay... This was going to be a lot more difficult than I thought...'_

"Can I sit with you?"

He gave no reply.

She slowly moved closer to him and sat beside him, the dog between them. She looked at the snoozing dog and at the boy. He had murky brown eyes, blonde (almost golden) hair and he was slightly tanned. It seemed like he wasn't really there, actually. Like he had locked himself away so that he could hide... But what was he hiding from?

**xXxXx**

Why was she here? Wasn't she suppose to be busy? Or did she want to test him for something?

She was mostly silent but she kept saying some of the weirdest things like "nice weather isn't it?" or "do you like the sun or do you like the moon?"

What kind of questions are those? They didn't have cold facts about them. They require opinions and feeling; it was so different! From _**that**_ time... with _them_...

She never pushed him to answer and she kept talking to him until the sun was high in the sky. She said that she had to go home because her husband (?) would wonder why she wasn't home yet. Then she placed a gentle hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

He looked up at her, eyes wide and still the same murky brown but they weren't clouded. She had just smiled at him and told him that she would see him tomorrow. Then she turned and left.

He lifted a hand to his head, to touch the spot she had ruffled. She had petted him and it reminded him of his Pack brother. He felt sadness bubble up from inside him and he felt tears forming. He looked up at the sky before he pulled his legs close to him body and pressed his head against them, arms wrapping firmly around his legs.

It hurt... It hurt too much...

**xXxXx**

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ down here now! So did ya like it? I haven't got much to say right now but I've got a new plot in my head somewhere and I'm not sure whether to go ahead or wait... I'll have to see. See ya next time on Untamed,  
~!?WainGuy?!~  
Have a nice day~**_


	4. Reactions

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ here back with a new update!! Thanks goes out to all that read, alerted, fav-ed and reviewed this story!! I hope you like this chapter and sorry for any mistakes and such. Well, I'm considering whether I should bring Alphonse into the story due to a review but I don't really think I will...**_

**_Be sure to be comfortable and in a well lit room when you read this._**

**_Warnings: Nothing really... Maybe angst?_**  
**_Disclaimer: I dont own FMA and its characters but I own the plot!!! I can live with that!!_**  
**_On with the story!!!_**

**Untamed  
Chapter 3: Reactions**

Now the boy was completely confused. When he had first come here he had ignored everybody and they didn't play any attention to him. Only the dog paid attention to him and he did the dog. That was normal.

Then, suddenly, a new woman – named Gracia Hughes (she had said and, quite surprisingly, he remembered) – had come and started working here (that was why she came right? Why else would she come here? To have fun? There was nothing fun here...) and she was the only one that ever talked to him (even though she asked the most outrageous things like 'What's your favorite animal?' and 'Which season do you like?').

She always came in the morning and left in the afternoon, from Monday to Friday, and she would always talk to him, telling him stories and tales about her life. She seemed nice... but it could all just be an act. To make sure he lowered his guard around her, allow her to get close to him and then.... and then... and then what?

What would happen? What would actually happen if he allowed himself to get close to her? Would it be better for him? Or would it be worse for him? Could she actually help him? He didn't know the answer and he was absolutely terrified to find out.

**XxX**

Gracia sighed as her already circling thoughts twirled back to the boy. The little boy that was always sitting under the tree with the dog beside him. The same boy who seemed uncertain and seemed to hurt.

And, truth be told, she felt herself losing hope to connect with the boy. It had been a complete month and there was hardly any improvement but her husband (the ever enthusiastic man he was) told her to keep trying.

He had told her that she had to be patient and kind before anything happened. Maybe the boy had a bad past or he was abused at some point in his life resulting in the closed off vibe that was practically oozing off of him.

She was going to see him again tomorrow and hopefully, after all the time she had spent with him, he'll open up to her. _'Soon, I hope...'_

**XxX**

The sun was in the sky, shining its brilliant bright rays onto the ground. And he was still at the same tree with Bear. He also had a notebook and pencil splayed beside him (an improvement about a week ago, small but still an improvement). He was staring at the sky, watching the birds fly overhead and the clouds drift by.

Gracia had decided to try something new. Instead of asking and telling him things that involved a view of things, she decided to tell him something she had read in the papers. It seemed that roughly one month ago a whole pack of wolves were killed and the pups had been sold to the zoo and, now the hunters had been caught.

The dead wolves' bodies weren't with them, they had sold them all to anybody who wanted a fur coat and sold some to the museum for display. That was just too cruel.

Gracia walked towards the boy. He turned his gaze away from the blue sky and looked at her, his dull eyes watching her as she came closer. She smiled and waved before she sat on the ground beside him, but still keeping a distance.

"Hello again. I've got some news to share with you! Are you interested?"

He stared at her, his eyes searching her face before he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. She brightened and nodded happily. She took out the newspaper (that was more than slightly crumpled due to the harsh treatment of stuffing it into her bag) and showed the headline to him.

"**Wolf Hunters Caught!"**

The boy blinked and stared at the title. Something sparked within his eyes, finally giving them life after so long, his eyes widened and they suddenly cleared, she saw golden irises instead of the usual murky brown. He stared at the title, unblinking and disbelief written all over his usually blank face.

Gracia didn't know whether it was a good sign or not because he was finally reacting but with a disbelief sort of way. Gracia placed it on the ground between them, his eyes following it for a moment before he looked back at her, his eyes dulled down to dark amber and an eyebrow quirked in question.

"The police managed to gather enough evidence to arrest these hunters because of illegal hunting of a wolf pack that was living within the outskirts of the town. They had finally gathered enough evidence to nab them. They had talked to people, the museum and even the zoo. It seems that the adults were killed while the pups, all five of them, were sold to the zoo. That's the whole story so far..." she trailed off.

The boy's eyes were bright with unshed tears, his hands fisted hard against his lap and he was biting his lip. He looked so sad, like he was reminded of something so upsetting. He had never shown this much emotion before... This was completely new and so was the feeling blossoming within Gracia's heart.

She didn't know how it happened but it did. She had managed to get closer to the boy, wrap her arms around him and she held him. He stiffened before his arms hesitantly returned the embrace, his forehead against her shoulder and then he cried.

**XxX**

Those men... those hunters... they were caught so did that mean they were going to be punished? Was it suppose to be better for him? To know that those that had killed his second family – his beloved _pack_ and his _pack brother_ – were caught and that the pups – his little brothers and sisters – were at something called a zoo, was it suppose to make him feel better?

He didn't know. He didn't know! He really didn't know!!

And then Gracia, the only woman that would actually talk to him and spend time with him from morning to afternoon, from Monday to Friday, hugged him. He didn't know what he was suppose to do. Was he suppose to pull away? OR was he suppose to return the hug?

Then he smelt it. That scent. The same scent that his beloved birth mother had. The one that smelt like apples and fallen leaves.

All of a sudden he didn't remember being hugged by Gracia, but he was in his mother's arms again. He wrapped his arms around her and cried.

**XxX**

_**~!?WainGuy?!~ back down here!!!! I always send greetings up there and then down here~~ I'm weird but weird is good right? Or else then I wouldn't have come up with these stories! So weird IS good~! Anyway I've got some stories in my head.  
a) Title: Letters - some kind of story with penpals and stuff.  
b) Title: Hagane no Taiga - kindda like a curse thingy with highschool/college stuff  
c) Title: ??? - Some kind of werewolf fic.  
And they are all FMA related!!! Should I do it or not... You can tell me.  
Well I guess I'm done rambling on and on (which I hope you don't really mind...) so I'll stop there for now!  
Till next time on Untamed,  
~!?WainGuy?!~ **_

_**Have a nice day.**_


	5. Names

**_~!WainGuy?~ here with an update! Sorry it took so long to update! I did this today (16th July 2010) and posted it! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I really apologize for not updating sooner... I had exams, prefect stuff to do and now... SCHOOL HOLIDAYS! So, I will most likely have a lot more time to update my stories! _**

**_Warnings: I dont remember if this chapter needs one... Should it?_**

**_Disclaimer: Dont own FMA but I own the plot! BWAHAHAHAHAHA_**

**_**Note: Be sure that you are in a well lit room when reading this, are comfortable as hell and enjoy!_**

**Untamed  
Chapter 4: Names**

A few moments of holding and cradling the crying boy, he stopped crying and wiped his amber eyes with his sleeves in an almost embarrassed way with a very faint blush tinting his tanned cheeks. Gracia rubbed soothing circles and asked, "Feeling better?"

He looked at her, his face growing a deeper shade of red and he looked at the ground and, quite meekly, gave a small nod. She smiled. "That's good. I'm glad you're feeling alright now."

He looked back at her, confusion shown clearly on his face. "I think it's better to let your emotions show instead of keeping it all locked away. You can really get hurt if you keep it all locked away."

He stared at her before he took his note book and scribbled something down. He looked at it before he lifted it up and showed it to her. There, written in a somewhat readable scrawl, was a question.

"_Is it really?"_

She looked at the boy, the very same boy that had not seemed all there, and smiled. "Yes, I believe it a hundred per cent!"

**XxX**

Sherry Marshall was pleased with the development. It was such a relief that after all that time, the boy finally reacted. But it was puzzling why he had reacted to that bit of news. Had he been involved? Had that incident scarred him that badly?

Maybe they should go to the zoo and see... But first she needed the boy's name and that was the next assignment for one Gracia Hughes.

**XxX**

Gracia walked happily to work the next day. She and her husband had had a very special dinner the previous night to celebrate the anniversary of the day they had started to date. And that was a very special and important day!

She entered through the gates and was mildly surprised to see Mrs. Marshall waving her over, a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Marshall."

The older woman smiled. "Good morning to you too, Gracia. I've got something I need you to do," she said, quietly.

"Okay..."

"It's nothing troublesome, I can assure you that. I just need you to find out the boy's name."

Gracia blinked. That was it? Really?

"Um... May I ask why?"

"You see, I plan to bring the younger ones to the zoo and I want to bring the boy along but I need to know his name. It wouldn't do any good if we only called him 'boy' in public. I don't think we should just call him that."

"Ah... I see. I'll do my best Mrs. Marshall," Gracia claimed enthusiastically.

She just smiled in return before she walked back into the building.

'_Now, time to find him.'_

**XxX**

Well, one thing's for sure, it was not at all difficult to find him because he was there in his usual spot with his notebook and the dog was sprawled on its back, paws in the air.

"Hello there! How are you feeling today?"

He looked up from his notebook and waved at her, a small smile on his face. She sat beside him and got straight to the point.

"Can you tell me your name?"

He blinked at her before looking at the ground, the pencil in his hand twirling hesitantly.

"I'm sure it's a nice name. There's no need to be ashamed of it."

He looked back at her, peeking out from his blonde bangs, unsure.

"I promise I won't laugh. We just want to know your name so that we can go on a trip."

That made his tilt his head. What trip?

"You see, we're going to the zoo and she wants to bring you too. But she needs your name so that she can call out to you."

He looked at the notebook and scribbled again.

"_My name's Edward but you can call me Ed."_

"Ed? Well, that's a fantastic name!"

He blushed and looked away. He was so blushing so much that his neck and ears were a deep crimson red. Wow, the kid could really blush.

**XxX**

Gracia and three workers - including Mrs. Marshall - were at the zoo with a total of fifteen kids. Each adult was in charge of five children and were responsible to watch after them as they progressed through the zoo.

"Come on kids! We're going to see the new wolf exhibit now! Let's go!"

The children were excited as can be and Edward, she noticed, seemed to be happier than she ever saw him.

They arrived at the wolf pen which was a very big, fenced up area with at least eight adult wolves and there! Five pups!

The children awed and cooed at the puppies but the puppies were ignoring them and were busy sniffing the air. Then suddenly, their ears perked up and they looked at the fence. They barked and raced forward and tried to get as close to the fence as possible, which was quite close if not for the slight gap between the fences.

They seem to bark and yip happily at the fence... but only at a certain section of the fence... specifically near Edward.

And Edward was looking at them with a wide smile, his amber eyes bright and glossy with tears? He squatted and placed a hand against the metal fence and the pups threw their heads back and howled, their tails wagging a mile a minute.

Gracia walked towards Ed and placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch but he looked at his shoulder then at her.

"Do they know you Ed?"

The blonde looked at the whining pups and gave a nod, a gentle smile plastered on his face.

"And you know them?"

Another nod.

The other children fussed about the other older wolves and gave them names like 'Fluffy', 'Brownie', 'Blackie' and others but they were completely absorbed in the wolves.

"Do they have names?"

Ed was silent as he stood up and grabbed his notebook before he wrote in his scrawl.

"_Yes. They all do."_

"Can you tell me? I won't tell anyone else, I promise."

The pencil raced across the page and he handed her the book before he crouched down again to entertain the pups.

"_There are two boys and three girls. Aleksey is the oldest and the biggest male pup. His brother, the brown one with a dark spot on his tail is named Genya. The grey one is Yaroslava, the black one with the white ear is Toma and the other black pup is Tekla. They are the offspring of Mikhail and Oxana."_

Gracia blinked and stared at the pups then the blonde boy. Wow, he knew all their names... That's amazing.

"Hey, Ed? Do you know the names of the other wolves?"

He looked at her, took his book and looked at the wolf pen. _'Could he figure the names out just by looking at them?'_

The puppies twirled and barked, still fretting over the fence. Ed took the pencil and wrote. After a moment he handed the book back to her.

"_The Alpha male is called Foma, the alpha female is Sveta. The others are Slava, Shura, Motya, Nika, Petia and Zhenya."_

The wolves howled and the pups gave a small yip, looked back at the boy and raced back to the older wolf members. Ed looked at them before he gave a small sigh and stood up.

Gracia looked at him then the wolves before looking at the other children. "Alright, guys, let's go to the lions next!"

**XxX**

It was so relieving to see them again. All of them were fine, well and healthy! He had missed them so much and it was so good to see them all safe and well.

_Pack Brother! We missed you!  
Come join us Pack Brother!  
Where have you been Pack Brother? It's great here!  
Why are you there? Come and play, Pack Brother!  
Come back to us Pack Brother!  
We want to play with you again!  
Don't you want to play with us?  
Pack Brother, why are you there and no here with us?  
We've missed you so much Pack Brother!  
Please come back! We'll behave, we promise!  
Don't go Pack Brother!  
Come back! Don't leave us!  
Pack Brother!  
We'll be good, just come back Pack Brother!  
Please!  
Pack Brother, we love you! So, please, stay?_

He looked at the black, night sky from his bedroom. Tears spilled over, trickling down his cheeks. He missed them so much... So very much...

**XxX**

_**~!WainGuy?~ here! So did ya like it? Review? Cookies? Wait... Cookies? I like chocolate chip cookies! *Ahem* Now, moving on... I hope you enjoyed this and please review cause Reviews are like drugs to me! ThEy Are ADDICTIVE! And I'd go insane if I didn't get any! And I might just post the next chapter faster too...  
Have a nice day and see ya next time cause I don't believe in forever goodbyes,  
~ ! ? W a i n G u y ? ! ~ **_


	6. Lost

_**~!WainGuy?~ here! And with me another chapter! Well, school's started again and I am now in Year 11... The Seniors of the school in uniform... It's before the 'A' levels and stuff like that... Well, got new teachers for the same subjects even though some of em are the same! Thank God they're the same! I love the way they teach!**_

_**Right to the stuff going on: Sorry that it took so long to update. Had a sudden crash course with this chapter and had to do this in a few days... Sucks that it's short huh? Well, the next will hopefully be longer! Anyway, thanks goes out to those that reviewed, fav-ed, alerted and read this story! Well, I've got a poll up on which story to concentrate more one and I'll keep it there until exams.**_

**_Disclaimer: Dont own FMA, but own the plot! (YES! AT LEASt I OWN SOMETHING!)_**

**_Warning: Nothing this chapter... except maybe BLOOD!_**

**_Well, be sure to be in a well lit room and am comfortable when reading!_**

**Untamed  
Chapter 5: Lost**

_A few months later…_

Gracia was worried. The newspapers and radio telecasts were brewing on about the war, stating that it was a blood bath. Their people were fighting, spilling blood because the government couldn't come to an agreement with the other country.

She grabbed her coat and walked out the door, making sure that it was locked. She walked through the snow towards her workplace. The snow crunched underneath her feet, the cold air wrapping around her and the sky cloudy.

She wondered if her husband was alright. He was working with the police – the forensics apartment – and they had hit a sudden rough patch with their case. Something about finding some elements not from around here… But she was confident that he could do it.

Maes had met Edward and they had hit off right at the start. Ed had taken a liking to Maes – which wouldn't be so hard due to his bright, sunny personality – and had asked (well, written down actually) questions like mad. And the older man was more than happy to answer them.

The familiar looming gates came into her view and she sped up a bit, happy to see the structure that announced her arrival. She walked through the gates and towards the building, all the time wondering where all the children were because the courtyard was empty and the kids would normally be playing around.

Her question was answered when she entered the building. All the children and those that came to seek shelter here were all lounging about; their faces pale and written with worry.

"Gracia," Mrs Marshall greeted.

Gracia looked at the older woman and noted that she looked a few decades older than yesterday. Concern welled up within her and she asked, "Are you alright? What's happening?"

The older woman sighed, a frown marring her usually joyful face. "The government has decided that this place of refuge is just taking up precious money that could be used to help in the war from them and has declared this place closed."

"But what about those that stay here? They can't just kick them out! Some of them are only children and they can't take care of themselves, much less get a job!"

Mrs Marshall looked at the people – children, travellers and the homeless – with a sad frown. "The government has given us five days to find them all homes and those without will be placed in orphanages around the country while the travellers and homeless will have to go no matter what."

Gracia looked at the children, most of them scared and terrified. She then noticed that one of the children weren't there. She looked around but could not find the blonde head of Edward.

"Mrs Marshall? Where's Edward?"

"We haven't been able to find him after the officials came. Even Bear can't find him and we've looked everywhere for him. We're afraid he might have run away."

Gracia took a step back, not wanting to believe that. She took off, rushing through the building, checking behind doors, underneath the beds, the attic, the closet, the basement but there was no Edward.

Gracia felt tears well up as she stared at the empty room. She couldn't find him. She couldn't find him! Where was he? Where was Edward?

**xXx**

Roy Mustang glared out the window. The case had hit a dead end… _again. _And it was annoying. They had the evidence, the name of the culprit but did they have the culprit? No and they hadn't been able to find him ever since they had questioned him a few days ago.

And not to mention the coffee tasted vile.

They had set up patrols; they had set up stake outs at the culprit's favourite sports but still nothing. If anything it seemed as though the culprit had completely vanished.

He sighed and sat back at his desk, resuming paperwork and going over evidence. The culprit was Julius Graham, age thirty-two with brown curls of hair that cover his brown eyes.

Where did that sicko go anyway? He had been charged with nine sexual harassment cases, two rape cases and one murder attempt. And when they finally had enough shit on him, he disappeared. Just great.

This guy had been all around the country doing all those crimes and the police task force had combined and when they had finally got the suspect – through forensics by semen collected from the victims – and then nothing!

Roy grumbled under his breath as he looked through the scattered pieces of information on pieces of flimsy paper. He was just about to read another piece of paper when the door to his office slammed open, revealing a ruffled Maes Hughes.

"What is it?" He asked, taking in the appearance of his long-time friend and college.

"We've… got a call… from a woman and she says…. she knows where the suspect is. And a dog's attacking him as we speak!"

Roy was up and walking when he said, "Get the others and let's get going to the scene. Where is it?"

The man grinned, "Just down the block actually."

**xXx**

Edward growled at the man. This was a really bad man. He had been attacking a lady with a freaking knife! So that meant he was really, really bad!

The man clutched his bloodied hand, swearing and cursing under his breath. The man then looked at him and bared his teeth. "You damn son of a bitch! I'll show you what happens when you mess with me you stupid mutt!"

Ed snarled at the man as he picked up his knife before he lunged forward and biting down hard on the man's arm. The man fell back, yelling bloody murder as he fell. He bit down harder as they landed; him on top of the bad man.

However he did not see the other hand strike up with the knife. He only felt the white-hot burn that flared up at his side. He yelped out in pain and was then promptly shoved off the bad man. The man got to his feet, blood caking his arm and hand. He held the knife in the other, uninjured hand.

Ed stood up, wincing when his side protested, and growled a warning. The man looked as though he was going to strike again when a voice – a very loud one – sounded from the end of the alleyway.

"PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR, JULIUS GRAHAM! WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED!"

Ed looked over his shoulder and saw… many people with blue uniforms and guns out. Were they the police around here?

**xXx**

Roy looked at the scene with astonishment. There was a golden coloured dog growling at their suspect. Its right side was caked with blood while the suspect – confirmed criminal now – had a bloodied arm.

After he had yelled at the criminal, there was a moment for silence. No one moved, no one dared breathe. The criminal would most likely flee but then they had back up all over the block so he wouldn't get far and, most likely, the dog would chase after him (since it was in its instinct).

The criminal cussed and brought the knife to his neck, pressing it deeply into the skin. Before anyone could move or yell (for that matter) the dog lunged forward and landed right on top of Julius. The man gave a strangled shout before he was swearing mad and snarled at the dog.

Roy's men took action and charged forward. Hawkeye placed her gun against the man's temple and said, quite smoothly, "Stay still."

The man froze, the dog stayed on top of the man and glared at the gun, ears pressed against its head. Falman – ever great with knowledge – stepped forward and pressed a certain part of the dog's muzzle and the jaw snapped open.

They removed the man's arm quickly before the dog could snap it shut. The men got to work and cuffed the man the moment he was let loose from the dog's bite and took him up. The dog on the other hand stood there for a moment, looking around.

"Well," Maes said, "looks like this dog's helped us a whole bunch don't you think Roy-boy?"

The dog snapped its head towards them, its amber eyes wide. It looked at them for a moment – more at Maes then at him – before it turned and ran off.

"You didn't do anything to that dog now did you Maes?"

The green eyed man shook his head, huffing a small sigh. "Nope. I've never seen it before but somehow it kindda reminds me of the kid Gracia's fond of."

"Why? The kid's human while the dog's a mutt. How do they resemble each other?"

The other man shrugged before he smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Well, at least we got the guy then!"

Roy smirked. "Yeah, that we do."

**xXx**

Ed ran. He couldn't stay near that man. He might make him want to go back to Gracia! But he couldn't! He had to go away or they'd make him go away to other people! He didn't want that! He wanted to stay with Gracia! She was so nice and friendly! She reminded him of his own mother…

He curled into a tight ball underneath the park bench, hating the way his side burned with pain. It wasn't safe to go back. He couldn't go back. They'd just get rid of him. They'd just throw him away like a broken, old toy.

He whined sadly. He didn't want that… He wanted to feel like a normal boy, wanted to live as one too! But… it couldn't be possible because of what _they _did to him. How they had messed him up from the inside.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to sleep.

**xXx**

Maes got out of the car with a happy bounce to his step, walking to his warm, cosy house with a beautiful wife waiting for him. Maes opened the door…

…and was surprised to see the house in a mess of papers scattered all over the floor. Did something happen? Where was Gracia?

"Gracia?"

He heard a sniffling sob and he found the source of it on their soft dark blue couch. It was Gracia her short locks of light brown hair ruffled and her green eyes puffy and red from tears. She tried to smile and she welcomed him home with her sweet voice hoarse and cracking.

He hugged her, tightly. "Gracia, love, what happened?"

Her shoulders shook with deep sobs and she returned the hug, pressing her wet face against his shoulder. She said one short, muffled sentence but it explained everything.

"Edward's missing."

**xXx**


	7. Accidental Find

_**~!WainGuy?~ here with another chapter for Untamed! So sorry that it's been a really long time but here's the next chapter! Well, I've got bad news for you guys. Seems that I've got 34 days for the Trial exams (very important) and 145 days left for the IGCSE 'O' levels so I will hardly have any time to update my stories. I hope you can cope for a while. I'll try to update every once in a while but it will not be often, sadly.**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot!**_

_**Warning: Blood (although it is very little)**_

_**P.s. Hope you enjoy this installment and be sure that you are comfortable and in a well lit room when reading :)**_

_**P.p.s. I hope to see you guys soon and I hope to get your reviews.**_

_***Note: this chapter took a very different turn from what I had originally planned but I thought this way it'd be nicer and I guess it was easier to write out... ENJOY~!**_

**Untamed  
Chapter 6: Accidental Find**

It was cold. It was oh-so-very cold. Edward blinked awake, looking through unfocused eyes, wondering why it was so cold. Did they forget to turn on the heating? Or did he fall asleep outside again?

Then he remembered.

He had run away because they were going to close the place down and they'd make him go away. And he did not want that. He had wanted to stay with Gracia but, for all he knew, she didn't want to take him… Even though she was really friendly and even motherly, so much so that he was reminded of his own mother.

He shook his head and looked around. It seemed that it had snowed during the night which explains why it was so cold perfectly.

He stood up but quickly stopped in his movements. His side hurt and he could on whimper. The wound was long and, luckily, it wasn't too deep. But still it hurt.

With a grunt and a push he was up and he walked away, eager to get moving to warm his cold body. He had to get out of the area or else he would definitely be tempted to go back which would surely result in disaster for him. It always would.

He trotted through the park, keeping well away from the more popular parts of the park; he didn't want other children to play with him, he didn't want anyone kicking or hitting him and he wanted to get away as fast as possible.

He made it out of the park quickly, running across the road; completely forgetting his mother's advice to 'look both ways before crossing the road' and it cost him.

Something cold and hard slammed into him and it sent him flying. He crashed onto the sidewalk, his ribs aching horribly, pain racking through his dog body and he couldn't move.

He panted, his breaths appearing as puffs of white clouds and his vision was blurred, his mind clouded with pain. What had hit him?

**X**

Maes was sitting on the couch, his hands clutching paper while his mind was miles away. After he had calmed his wife down she immediately got to the details of what had happened at her work place and that Edward was nowhere to be seen. The boy had just disappeared.

He sighed, feeling like crap. Sure, he wasn't that close to the kid but it hurt to know that the kid had disappeared and that because of that it had cause his sweetheart grief.

Where had the kid gone? Why did he leave in the first place?

He sighed heavily. He couldn't tell the police that the kid was missing and had run away because they would say that kids (or anyone for that matter) were officially missing after forty-eight hours.

He needed to get out and look for the small boy, so that his sweetheart would stop crying and worrying herself.

He shrugged on his coat, tugged on his boots, stuffed his keys into his pocket and walked out, making sure that he left a note to inform her of his intensions and that the door was looked. After double checking it was locked properly, he turned on his heel and walked onto the snowy path.

The cold air bit at his exposed face but he ignored the bitter cold and kept walking, his green eyes looking for the blonde head of a small boy named Edward. He looked into shops, cafes and he even went to the zoo looking for the boy but still no Edward.

He sighed heavily, a frown etched on his face as he scrubbed a rough hand over his face. Now, if he were a kid that was on the run where would he be?

He was ripped out of his thinking when there was a loud 'crash!' that came from the left and a car, a red one with the front dented badly, sped out. Maes jumped to the side, startled by the fast moving car.

He stared at the fleeing car and wondered what had caused the car noise. His curiosity reached its peak and he walked around the corner expecting to see what the car had crashed into but he stopped and stared, frozen on the spot.

A small blonde boy was on the side of the road; his right arm was coated in red scarlet, his face pinched in pain as he lay there.

"Edward!"

The boy flinched; glazed eyes looked at him as he reached the boy. The boy looked confused as he just stared at him. It looked like the boy didn't recognise him.

"Ed, come on. We've got to get you out of here," Maes said gently as he slowly placed his arm on the boy's back and the other under the boy's sprawled legs.

The boy just stared at him, blood trickling from his nose and his mouth parted as he panted for breath. Maes pulled the boy close to his body and hefted him up. The boy whimpered, his left hand shot out and gripped his shirt with pale fingers.

"Sh, it'll be alright kiddo. We just need to get you to the hospital so that they can patch you up," he told the dazed boy gently.

The small blonde shook his head, a pain whine coming from him.

"You don't want to go to the hospital?"

He gave a small, bobbing nod as he panted harder.

"But we can't just leave you like this! You have to see a doctor to patch up that arm of yours," Maes said quickly as he strode towards the hospital.

The boy suddenly lunged forward, his face on his shoulder. Maes stopped, wondering what the boy was going to do when…

"D-d… don't… N-n-not th-the 'ospital…"

"How 'bout a family doctor then?"

There was a pause then a small nod and the boy slumped back against his body, eyes closed and breathing shallow and fast.

Alright, he was going to have to go to his family doctor then… For the sake of the kid who hadn't talked since they had known the small blonde.

**X**

Gracia woke up to a very quiet house and her eyes puffy red and swollen from all the crying. She was really worried about the boy. She had called neighbours, friends, family and even her colleges but they had not seen hair or hide of the boy.

She walked downstairs and found the living room in the same mess she had made it the previous night so she would have to clean up. Then she noticed the small note her husband had left on the side table. So he was out looking for Edward.

She decided that when he came back, she would go out with him to look for the missing boy so she got back upstairs, washed herself and got dressed in a plain blue sweater and a black pair of jeans. After she was done with herself she started tidying the living room, stacking the papers into neat piles but she stopped halfway when she heard the door jingle and Maes stepped through the door.

And in his arms was Edward.

**X**

_**On another note: if you like this, could you maybe try my other story Dog of the Military and Forest Children? TBC!**_


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